If I forget I hope You Remember

If I Forget, I Hope You Remember..........that growing up we always looked forward to our trips to see Grandma and Grandpa Hunt in New Mexico on their farm.  Between building forts in the hay and going down to the river, helping grandpa feed the cows (grandpa would drive the tractor while we were in the trailer and grandpa would tell us where to throw chunks of hay), walking down to the San Juan River(which bordered the back edge of Grandpa’s farm) and skipping rocks, to talking grandpa into letting us drive the tractor we always had a lot of fun    And it never hurts to make up a song that goes to the tune of “I Don’t Want to Grow Up..”  Denzel and Brandon made the song up while we sat on a sidewalk in New Mexico waiting for a parade to start and the song goes ‘I don’t want to go home I’m a Grandpa Hunt Kid.  There’s a million things on grandpas farm that I can play with.  From tractors to BB guns.  The best farm there is.  I don’t want to go home ‘cause if I did I wouldn’t be a Grandpa Hunt Kid.’  It was always fun to play with the toys they had in the back room (you had to pass through Grandma’s little green room to get to this back bedroom).  They also had a coal stove.

If I Forget, I Hope You Remember..........Whenever we were at Grandma and Grandpa Hunt’s farm, Grandpa would let us drive the little mower tractor.  But anytime we asked if we could drive it Grandpa’s response was “If your dad or Denzel helps you.”  Of course it was almost always Denzel that helped. 

If I Forget, I Hope You Remember..........I believe it was Christmas 1995 that Mom and Dad didn’t set any traps like they had for the past umpteen years.  So Denzel and Brandon came up with the idea to set a trap for mom and dad.  We got tape, toilet paper, poppers (left over from Fourth of July) two boards a round stick, two of the intercoms, and fishing line.  We slid one of the two intercoms into mom and dad’s room (with it on) and shut the door.  We then taped toilet paper across the top half of mom and dad’s door way.  We tied fishing line to the door knob and strung it around the corner and tied the other end to the round stick.  We placed one board on the floor and put poppers on it.  We then propped the 2^nd board up with the stick.  We then went into the living room with the second intercom and started buzzing mom and dad telling them that it was time to get up.  They finally got up and got dressed. And we all waited and cheered when we heard the poppers go off.  We had got mom and dad and since then they have never “forgotten” to do traps.

If I Forget, I Hope You Remember..........Christmas of 1998 was a memorable one.  Dad was in the bishopric so he was able to go with Mom to the Relief Society dinner.  Before they left, mom told us that if we wanted to build a fire in the fire place that we needed to make sure that we took the glass candle off the wood stove.  We assured that we would.  Half way through the night we decided to build a fire but forgot about the candle.  At one point Denzel realized that we forgot to take it off and told one of the kids to go get him some hot pads.  Denzel had just about picked the candle up when we heard the glass popping and then “whoosh”.  The melted wax went all over the wood stove and bricks and ignited.  We got the first (of three) fire extinguishers and Denzel put the fire out.  The wax ignited again and Denzel said to get everyone out and to call 9-1-1.  I got Kristy, Amelia, Natalee, and Dallin outside to the stop sign(our designated spot if there were ever a fire).  I then told them to stay there that I was going back inside.  Brandon was calling 9-1-1 and opening doors (I helped to get windows and doors open).  Brandon was told to go to a neighbor’s house and call back.  So Brandon went over to McMullin’s, knocked on the door, walked in and asked where the phone was and called 9-1-1 back.  I went back outside with the other kids and Denzel stayed in trying to get the fire out.  (He told us after the fact that one of the fire extinguishers didn’t work.  That he had thought to put the fire out inside the wood stove and then the fire outside the wood stove).  We had smoke coming out of the eves of the house and a few passerbyers thought it was just a cool effect.  Then a family friend Brooke Webb and one of her friends stopped and asked if everything was ok and if we wanted them to go get our parents at the church.  After a couple min I said yes.  And about 5-10 min later you hear a screeching noise made from mom and dad speeding down the street and slamming on the brakes.  Karl McMullin had come over to make sure everyone was ok (as well as many other people). (Karl had told my mom later that when he had come over to check on everybody that it was the coolest thing to see everyone on the corner together.)  The Firefighters showed up and all they had to do was help blow out smoke.  Denzel had successfully put out the fire (Denzel also told us later that if the two working extinguishers didn‘t work he was going to grab the hose and use that).  Upon looking at the bricks and stove you could see about three strands of wax that had dripped down the bricks into the carpet we had had put in just a few short months before.  We were very blessed and grateful that Denzel was able to put the fire out with only two fire extinguishers and that nobody was hurt.

If I Forget, I Hope You Remember..........April 2006 the family went to Salt Lake.  We went to Cracker Barrel and celebrated Grandmother Barton’s birthday.  Denzel was home for two weeks so he was able to be there with us.  While we were there our family and Uncle John, Brooke and Jacob went to the “This is the Place Monument”.  We were able to see Great Great Great Grandpa John Packs House which is where University of Utah (Utes) got started as Deseret School and John Pack had a High up Roll in the School (as an administrator we think).  We got to see the side of the monument that Grandpa John Pack was on.  Grandpa Pack was one of the nine men sent in by Brigham Young, into the Salt Lake Valley before Brigham Young brought all the pioneers in.  We were there before the Monument was officially open but it was nice not to have to deal with a big crowd of people.  We were able to watch one gentleman working with two oxen and what it takes to get them to work together when the yoke is on.  That weekend was General Conference.  We were able to attend the Sunday Morning Session all nine of us in the family.  It was neat to be able to attend the morning session.

If I Forget, I Hope You Remember..........I was in my Junior year, Denzel in his senior year at Snow Canyon High School.  It was football season (I forget the team we were playing this particular night).  I was in Pep Band and Denzel playing football.  One particular play Denzel was on the kickoff return team.  Well the other team kicked the ball (after scoring) and Denzel caught it and ran it all the way for a 97 yard touchdown.  I thought it was so cool and the entire time I was like That’s my brother.

If I Forget, I Hope You Remember..........I can’t remember what year this was but there was one year that it rained so much that our street(Canyon View Dr.) had turned into a river.  The water was had come up and over the sidewalk on both sides of the street.  We could have gotten our tire tubes out and could have floated down the street.  It was too late so we weren’t able to do that.   I remember Denzel had shorts on and was allowed to go wading across the street.  I was in pants and was jealous because I wanted to go wading too.  Well, my mom had me get her sewing scissors and she cut my pants into shorts as well so I was able to go join Denzel in wading across our own personal river right outside out house.

If I Forget, I Hope You Remember..........Growing up we didn’t have a ton of money but we had plenty.  One way that mom helped us to earn our Christmas money each year was by selling bread.  Thursday was our bread days.  Mom would make a certain amount (I think something like 75 loafs) while we were at school.  When everyone got home from school we would go out and go sell the bread.  We would try and deliver our ‘Pre-orders’ first.  Then with what was left we would go to different places, knock on doors and give our little memorized script.  “Hi I’m selling fresh homemade bread.  It’s 100% whole wheat.  It’s 2.00 a loaf.  Would you like to buy some?”  We sold White wheat, Red wheat, and White flour.  We would sell out of bread and always get more pre orders for the next week.  When we were done selling we would go home.  Mom would count the money, take what was needed for ingredients and things like that and then divide up the rest of the money between those of us who sold.  She always taught us that we needed to pay tithing first and savings second.  But that is how we would earn our Christmas money and beginning of school clothes money.

If I Forget, I Hope You Remember..........It was end of 2008 beginning of 2009 and dad was helping Denzel and his girlfriend at the time, move to North Carolina for a job opportunity for Denzel.  On their way out, they stopped by the Fire Dept. and visited with me and my crew (I was working).  They stayed in the nicer of the two hotels that night.  And we had breakfast in the morning when I got off and they headed on their way.  It was fun having them there

If I Forget, I Hope You Remember..........it was beginning of June 2009 that Denzel and his girlfriend at that time moved back to Utah.  The Job and being so far from mom and dad wasn’t working for him.  On their way back they stopped by the apartment and Mike and I fed them dinner and Denzel got to hold Ben.  Denzel enjoyed that.  They Left that night to try and get back to Utah.

If I Forget, I Hope You Remember..........Growing up we would go camping at Zion’s National Park at least once a year.  It was so much fun.  We would always go hiking, tubing, chilling, etc.  One of our favorite things to do was at the end of the week we would compare bruises from tubing to see who had the most, the biggest, the most colorful, etc.  It was a lot of fun. 

If I Forget, I Hope You Remember…………(This was passed on from my Mom).  I was a senior in High School, and we had just had Homecoming.  I didn’t have the opportunity to go due to not being asked.  I was bummed because I didn’t get to go.  One day shortly after, Mom and Denzel had been talking and Mom had mentioned to him that I didn’t get to go.  Denzel told my mom “I wish I would have known.  I would have taken her.”